Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-08-03
Does it Prohibit?

Does it Prohibit?
The Lewiston Journal has instituted au 10.
quiry and obtained the opinion of many promi'
nent and Trustworthy citizens of the State in
regard to the above question We annex the
summary which gives in brief the substance
Of the information gained. The Journal
says:
Paul may plant and Apollos may water, but
the devil may insert little grog and spoil the
millennium.
We wanted to know just how much the
devil might be spelling the goth century hence
we begged 300 representative men Of 300
Maine baiiwlcks to rise. if they would, and
give answer to the following questions:
Do you know whether there are any secret grog
shops In your town? II go. how many?
Are there any open grog shops In your town
(meaning thereby open bars, either on the street
front, ir a room with bar accessible and q
layout Of decanters, bottles, and so on, as In old IL
cense days.?
Has drinking or drunkenness increased in your
place in the past two years?
Have you any active moral suasion movement,
either reform club or other temperance society in
your midst?
II the law ia not well enforced is the fault cfica
or public?
Are the officers lax in spite of healthy public
opinion because of lax public sentiment?
IN your Judgment mas the numUeT Oh rum suops >
disguised drug stores. decreased since the new
law took effect?
VIII you be- KIDD enough to make suggestions re
gardng the needs of prohibition and temperance IN
Maine at present:
You will perc i've that we want two things: 1st-
Well established facts regarding the liquor question
In your locality.
2d-Your opinions.
The returns which We get, and as we get
them, we submit to our readers. We beg to
say that these returns furnish the most ex
hausiive de fence of success that any leglsia-
ton ever showed in the history of our be-
loved commonwealth. The completeness of
the enforcement of the law in three tOurths of
Maine is proven; and in less than one-tenth
is the law dead letter. Just what enforce
ment is, just where partial enforcement pre-
walls and what that is, are clearly reTealed
in these letters.
We have returns from many smaller towns
10 all the Maine counties. not included in the
following, all of one tenor: "No open or
secret rum shops, little drunkenness or drink
ing, law well enforced
Only very few old cider drunkards ap
pear 10 survive in the country towns; there is
less drinking than two years ago; the law is
well enforced-ar the vast majority of the
reports.
10 the few larger points where public opin-
~
sheriffs already has had healthy influence,
notably in Hancock county. Our correspon-
dents are enthusiastic in endorsing the Gov
ernor's manly stand for enforcement.
Our letters are full of suggestions for bet
tering the already excellent condition of
things in prohibitory Maine, The work is to
bring public sentiment in few M line cities
up to the public sentiment in the country
That is the continuing duty of moral suasion.
IT will be noticed that some of our core
spondents say that there is no open or secret
grog shop in their towns and diminish,
drinking and drunkenness. but add The
law is not well enforced on account of a lax
public sentiment" OF course, after these
correspondents say it is enfDrc'd in their
towns, they refer to the statement that the law
is not enforced owing to the lax public senti-
ment. to the few larger places where the crit
cism is a fair one.
Ii is of interest to observe that the hotel
business of Maine and summer travel are
better than ever. Prohibition has improved
Maine as healthy and happy summer resort
for families. Let this be emphasized.
The impression that the friends of legal
suasion have relied too much on law, has
prevailed and with some reason; but 1t Will
be seen that temperance societies are yet
more and more to invoke the agencies of
moral reform as the power behind the throne,
In the country towns the health OF
public opinion is particularly stalwart.
Pocket peddlipg and private express pack
ages are now the chief barriers in the way of
the further triumphs of prohibition; but that
prohibition has driven the traffic TO straits, is
the concession of the Pocket-Pedler and OF
the express distributor.
There has been a manifest decline of grog
shops disguised as drug stores; but there
will be a vet further decline after the prtn,a
facie bushes. gets well at work
Our correspondents on the New Hampshire
and Canadian borders acknow ledge the diff
Guilty of their location but report the law
well enforced up to the State limit.
Some of our correspondents express views
with which we do not agree. but we publish
the replies as we receive them, giving all
free expression; but the general summing up
of the replies is a chapter of encouragement
to all friends of prohibition, and a reason
tor renewed energy to make prohibition,
already effectual in Maine, more completely
| so.
| There is a manifest disposition on the part
of many to expect more Of the prohibtory
! law well executed than they do from other
/ laws against offences, well executed. This
/ lesds many to criticise When they confess the
grog shop exists mainly in the pockets of sly
offenders. The critic gives himself away in
this concession.
Some of our correspondents agree the traffic
is very secret in their vicinity. yet complain
that the law is not well enforced. Others
say that when this is true, il shows the law is
we'll enforced, better for instance, than the
| law against gam bling and some other crimes.
As whole the statement is made good
that there Is progress in legal and mora
sussion in Maine, but there is always g
righteous demand for more. Let the peop,e
insist on getting il.